Help coming for Weaversville Road!

Thanks to you fellow road warriors out there, PennDOT has reversed course and agreed to take steps to smooth the rough ride on Weaversville Road in Allen and East Allen townships.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for springtime--they don't do much paving in the winter--but at least the complaints of many motorists about the excessively bumpy, noisy ride will be addressed.

As many of you will recall, PennDOT recently milled the road, making eighth-inch-deep saw cuts into the surface, in order to improve tire grip. This was a safety measure; many accidents had been reported since the road was resurfaced in 2007.

Though the milling improved adhesion, it also roughed up the ride for motorists to the point where many complained to PennDOT, state legislators, and to the Road Warrior.

About an hour ago, PennDOT’s regional District Executive Michael Rebert said officials subsequently agreed that the roughness is a bit excessive. He said that “micro-paving,” basically a thin layer of asphalt, or perhaps a full re-paving, are among the solutions being considered.

Rebert said “skid tests” had revealed that the asphalt applied two years ago provided less tire adhesion than normal. Engineers are still investigating, but this could have resulted from a problem with the materials used, he said.

Morning Call Reporter and Columnist Dan Hartzell is The Road Warrior, defending the drivers of the Lehigh Valley and the roads on which they drive. E-mail questions about transportation in the Lehigh Valley and beyond to hartzell@mcall.com.